Pacoima Gang Member Is Sentenced to 37 Years to Life in Youth’s Killing

A Pacoima gang member was sentenced in San Fernando Superior Court on Thursday to 37 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy who was sitting in a car at Sylmar High School.

Judge John H. Major sentenced David Carmona, 19, to 30 years to life for killing Sonny Rodriguez of Sylmar in a Feb. 3, 1990, drive-by incident. Carmona also was sentenced to concurrent seven-year terms for two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for shooting at two people who were in the car with Rodriguez.

In the courtroom prior to sentencing, Rodriguez’s father, William (Blinky) Rodriguez, told Carmona that he and his wife, Lilly, forgive him for shooting their son.

“David, we forgive you, man,” said Rodriguez, who works with a group called Victory Outreach that tries to turn gang members to religion and away from violence and crime. “You may have taken Sonny’s life, but you didn’t take his soul. You deal with God now.”

Outside the courtroom, Rodriguez said he was glad that the ordeal was over.

“It’s not going to bring Sonny back, but at least it’s going to take the guy out of the system for awhile,” Rodriguez said of the sentence.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Edward Nison had argued for the tough sentence, saying Carmona showed no remorse and that if released early would “engage in the exact same behavior.”

Carmona’s attorney, Anthony Bryan, argued unsuccessfully for a lighter sentence by claiming that his client had acted in response to someone’s attempt to shoot Carmona and his girlfriend earlier that night.

But the prosecutor argued that Carmona randomly shot at Rodriguez, who was a member of a rival San Fernando gang that Carmona blamed for incident earlier that night.

Rodriguez, who was learning to drive a stick-shift car, was unable to escape when the shooting began because he could not get the car in gear.

Two men who accompanied Carmona on the night of the shooting were sentenced last year to prison terms for their involvement.

Lorenzo Martinez, 21, who was driving the car, was sentenced to 28 years to life. Marco Hernandez, 22, who owned the car and was sitting in the back seat during the shooting, was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.